Portable board puzzles

ABSTRACT

A portable puzzle comprising a board containing a recess sized for holding seven regular twelve-sided prisms, one prism centrally located and the other six surrounding the center prism, and also comprising seven regular twelve sided prisms each having an upwardly presented face displaying six pairs of different colored segments, each segment extending radially outwardly from the center of the prism to a different side, the color arrangement of each prism&#39;s segments being varied from prism to prism but having been prearranged such that when the prisms are placed within the recess of the game board in one preselected manner, the contiguous edges of adjacent prisms will face segments of the same color.

This invention relates to portable pattern alignment puzzle games.Applicant has no knowledge of any cross-related applications. Thisinvention has no connection with any federally sponsored research anddevelopment program.

BACKGROUND

Puzzles have existed for decades as conventional forms of amusement,entertainment and interest occupying devices. Puzzle solvers regularlyenjoy mental exercises in shape, space and color identification andrecognition provided by puzzles. Experienced puzzle solvers find simpleand uncomplicated puzzles boring and unchallenging, and conventionallyavoid such puzzles. There exists a need for complex puzzles which aresmall, portable, and suited for convenient storage in a briefcase orhandbag while in a partially solved condition.

To satisfy these needs, applicant has invented a small, portable puzzle,sized and shaped for carrying in briefcases or folders or the like,which is complex and challenging, and which may be readily stored in apartially solved condition when matters arise causing interruptions inpuzzle solving. A puzzle of the type hereinafter described may be storedfor days, weeks and months, and it may be readily carried into placeswhere people customarily look for something to occupy their time, suchas in airports, physician's offices or while traveling.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a portable puzzle comprising seven equally sizedtwelve sided prisms removably disposed in a recess of a solving board towhich the individual pieces of the puzzle are magnetically attractedsuch that said pieces may be held and moved about in the recess withoutthe use of interlocking configurations, and which, during periods ofnon-use, may be readily stored in convenient locations. The face of eachprism presents twelve colored segments extending in a swirling path fromthe center of the prism to the sides on the periphery of the prism. Eachprism has two segments each of six different colors. The arrangement ofcolors on the face of each prism differs from the arrangement of colorson every other prism. The object of the puzzle is to place theindividual prisms in the recessed solving board in such manner thatthere are the same colors on the abutting sides of the various prismswhen the prisms are properly disposed in the recess of the solvingboard.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of my invention inthe solved condition;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the solving board with the prisms removed;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the prism 100;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the prism 80;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the prism 40;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the prism 60;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the prism 120;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the prism 140; and

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the prism 160.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now in more detail by reference character to the drawings,which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, A represents apuzzle assembly comprising a base 20 and seven prisms 40, 60, 80, 100,120, 140 and 160. The base 20 is provided with a recessed base 22 ofmagnetic material for purposes more fully to appear.

The prism 40 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardlyextending swirls 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52 asshown in FIG. 5. Similarly, the prism 60 is a regular twelve sided prismhaving twelve outwardly extending swirls 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68,69, 70, 71 and 72 as shown in FIG. 6; the prism 80 is a regular twelvesided prism having twelve outwardly extending swirls 81, 82, 83, 84, 85,86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91 and 92 as shown in FIG. 4; the prism 100 is aregular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardly extending swirls 101,102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111 and 112 as shown inFIG. 3; the prism 120 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelveoutwardly extending swirls 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129,130, 131 and 132 as shown in FIG. 7; the prism 60 is a regular twelvesided prism having twelve outwardly extending swirls 141, 142,143, 144,145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151 and 152 as shown in FIG. 8; and theprism 160 is a regular twelve sided prism having twelve outwardlyextending swirls 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171and 172 as shown in FIG. 9. The central portions of each prism is coatedwith a metallic coating for magnetically holding each prism in therecess 22 for purposes presently more fully to appear.

The recess 22 is sized for simultaneously accepting all seven prisms,20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160 arranged such that one is locatedin the center of the recess and the other six are placed around thecentral prism. The recess 22 has a wall 24 sized and shaped such thatwhen the seven prisms are disposed in the recess 22, each of the prisms40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160 will fit snugly in the recess 22, andadjacent prisms will have one of its outwardly presented faces againstan outwardly presented face of another adjacent prism, as best shown inFIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, which presents a top plan view of my invention, theupwardly presented faces of each prism 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 and160, present a pattern where one swirl from one prism flows into oneswirl on each adjacent prism. By selectively altering the colorarrangement of the twelve swirls the prisms, a puzzle is created inwhich only one arrangement exists where abutting swirls from adjacentprisms will be of the same color. The puzzle is more complex than itseems because of the thousands of possible combinations which will notpresent the desired pattern.

The six preferred swirl colors are red, orange yellow, green blue andpurple, arranged such that there are only two sections of the same coloron each prism. It should be here noted that the order of placements ofthe colors on the individual sections of the individual prisms iscrucial to the creation of the puzzle. Referring now to Table I, thecorrect order of section colors on the separate prisms is set out suchthat there will be only one correct solution in the thousands ofpossible combinations.

USE AND OPERATION

It should be noted that when one prism is positioned in the center ofthe recess 22 and the other six prisms are positioned in the recess 22about the centrally positioned prism, that the central prism will be inabutment with each of the surrounding prisms, and each of thesurrounding prisms will be in abutment with the central prism and eachadjacent peripheral prism. The object of the puzzle is to position theprisms such that each side which abuts a side of an adjacent prism abutsa section of the same color as the abutting section.

In operation, the prisms are positioned and repositioned in the recessof the base until the color of each abutting section is the same. Bycoating the base and individual prisms out of materials which havemagnetically attractive properties, solution of the puzzle may becontinued on a day to day basis if desired. This is a necessary featurewhere, as here, there are over a million possible combinations of prismpositions and locations and yet only one correct solution. Because ofthe inherent difficulty, a challenging portable puzzle can be providedwhich is readily adaptable for use wherever people are accustomed tospending long waiting periods looking for something to do such as atairports, and while traveling, particularly in automobiles and airplaneswhere freedom of movement is restricted and waiting boredom looms.

The following table presents one suggested combination of coloredsegments on each prism to create a suitable puzzle:

Prism 40 Prism 60 Prism 80 Prism 100 Edge Color Edge Color Edge ColorEdge Color 41 Orange 61 Red 81 Purple 101 Orange 42 Purple 62 Blue 82Red 102 Green 43 Green 63 Green 83 Green 103 Red 44 Red 64 Red 84 Blue104 Yellow 45 Orange 65 Purple 85 Purple 105 Orange 46 Blue 66 Blue 86Orange 106 Blue 47 Yellow 67 Purple 87 Yellow 107 Purple 48 Purple 68Orange 88 Green 108 Green 49 Green 69 Green 89 Red 109 Purple 50 Yellow70 Yellow 90 Yellow 110 Red 51 Blue 71 Orange 91 Blue 111 Yellow 52 Red72 Yellow 92 Orange 112 Blue Prism 120 Prism 140 Prism 160 Edge EdgeEdge Color Edge Color 121 121 141 Orange 161 Yellow 122 122 142 Yellow162 Red 123 123 143 Green 163 Green 124 124 144 Blue 164 Purple 125 125145 Red 165 Blue 126 126 146 Yellow 166 Yellow 127 127 147 Blue 167Orange 128 128 148 Red 168 Green 129 129 149 Purple 169 Purple 130 130150 Green 170 Orange 131 131 151 Orange 171 Red 132 132 152 Purple 172Blue

The puzzle may be made even more challenging by placing lenticularlenses (not shown) over the upwardly presented faces of each prism.

It should be apparent that changes and substitutions in the unique andnovel arrangement, combination, assembly and interaction of the variousparts, colors and components shown and described herein may be madewithout departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

I claim:
 1. A puzzle comprising a board provided with a recess, aplurality of prisms sized and shaped for snug-fitting disposition in therecess, each of said prisms being provided with an upwardly presentedface, and indicia means on the upwardly presented face on each of saidprisms, said indicia means on each of the prisms containing apreselected color scheme arranged such that only when the prisms aredisposed in the recess in a predetermined manner, the contiguousportions of adjacent prisms will present a preselected design to theviewer.
 2. The puzzle of claim 1 in which the prisms are seven in numberand each prism is similarly shaped and has twelve sides of substantiallyequal length.
 3. The puzzle of claim 1 in which the prisms are seven innumber, each prism is similarly shaped and has twelve sides ofsubstantially equal length, and each indicia means presents twelvecolored segments, each segment starting at the center of the prism faceand following a path to one of the twelve sides of each prism.
 4. Thepuzzle of claim 1 in which the prisms are seven in number, each prism issimilarly shaped and has twelve sides of substantially equal length, andeach indicia means presents twelve colored segments, each segmentstarting at the center of the prism face and following a path to one ofthe twelve sides of each prism, and the twelve segments are colored insix different colors, two segments for each color.
 5. The puzzle ofclaim 1 in which the prisms are seven in number, each prism is similarlyshaped and has twelve sides of substantially equal length, and eachindicia means presents twelve colored segments, each segment starting atthe center of the prism face and following a path to one of the twelvesides of each prism, the twelve segments are colored in six differentcolors, two segments for each color, and the arrangement of the coloredsegments on the various prisms is such that a colored segment of oneprism will abut a colored segment of the same color from an abuttingprism when the prisms are placed in the preselected position.
 6. Apuzzle comprising a board provided with a recess, seven twelve sidedregular prisms sized and shaped for snug-fitting disposition in therecess, each of said prisms being regular in shape and having twelvesides, each prism also being provided with an upwardly presented facehaving indicia means, said indicia means including twelve segments, eachof which extend from the center of that prism to one of the twelve sidesthereof, each segment being colored in one of six different colors, eachindicia means on each prism having no more than two segments of the samecolor, the color arrangement of the six colored segments on each of theseven indicia means being different from the color arrangement of thesix colored segments on every other prism, the colored segmentsarrangements being such that when the prisms are placed in the recess ina preselected manner, abutting sides of adjacent prisms will be inalignment with a segment of the same color from an abutting prism. 7.The puzzle of claim 6 in which one of the prisms is located centrally inthe recess and the other six prisms surround the centrally locatedprism.
 8. The puzzle of claim 6 in which one of the prisms is locatedcentrally in the recess and the other six prisms surround the centrallylocated prism in the recess, and the colored segments of the prisms arepresented through lenticular lenses.
 9. The puzzle of claim 6 in whichone of the prisms is located centrally in the recess and the other sixprisms surround the centrally located prism, each of the outer prismsabut the central prism on one adjacent side and abuts each laterallyadjacent prism on one side.